Radio Free Skaro #815 - Billie Piper and The Hobbits

We’re less than a month away from new Doctior Who on Disney+ and the BBC and to help us navigate this stormy sea of streaming madness is professor, media expert, and all-around lovely fellow Derek Kompare as we look into the BBC’s inevitable admission that Varada Sethu is joining the cast of the show, a fascinating Beatles-centric (or lack thereof) interview in Empire Magazine with Ncuti Gatwa and one Russell T. Davies, archive film musings, Chicago TARDIS news, and a very important televisual anniversary! Plus Episode Three of our Classic Series Commentary for “Terror of the Autons”! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who – First Look at Ncuti Gatwa with Varada Sethu and Millie Gibson ahead of Season Two Empire Magazine Interview with Russell T Davies and Ncuti Gatwa Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, Russell T Davies in the Radio Times TV 100 list The Celestial Toymaker to be released June 10/11 in the UK, North America The Doctor Who Production Diary: The Hartnell Years available soon Film is Fabulous! Pilot Study: Documenting Private Film Collections Chicago TARDIS adds Jo Martin to guest list with Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann Big Finish: Torchwood: The Restoration of Catherine coming June 2024 Twelfth Doctor, Cyberman ornaments coming from Hallmark for Christmas 2024 Stevie Wonder on Sesame Street (April 12, 1973) Commentary: Terror of the Autons Episode 3

Chris is a wandering vagabond this week, trolling both the Internet and ourselves with images of the real Magna Carta, but the real highlight of this week is the appearance of one Kyle Anderson of Nerdist fame for his thoughts on Doctor Who trailers, the current media landscape, and more! Plus we have news of one Dr. Who in Roblox form, the release of the Companions of Doctor Who on April 10, and River Song is back in Big Finish’s “Death and Life of River Song: Last Words”! Plus Past Chris returns in Episode Two of our Classic Series Commentary for “Terror of the Autons”! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon BBC launches new Wonder Chase experience on Roblox The Companions of Doctor Who Available April 10 Big Finish: The Death and Life of River Song: Last Words coming August 2024 Doctor Who’s WEIRD History of Regeneration Commentary: Terror of the Autons Episode 2

Another new Doctor Who trailer! New episode titles unveiled! Golda Rosheuvel is in Episode 1! All this and more in a timey-wimey episode of the podcast, which contains much Mrrahh Business, more cast announcements, a light dusting of contempt for AI, a Steven Moffat conversation on Youtube, and Episode One of our Classic Series Commentary for “Terror of the Autons”!  Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who – Golda Rosheuvel jumps aboard the TARDIS as episode titles are revealed New BBC Doctor Who Trailer Doctor Who Magazine 602 Two Doctor Who episodes nominated for Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Doctor Who 2024: BBC Confirms 4K For The Full Series BBC Will Stop Using AI For ‘Doctor Who’ Promotion After Receiving Complaints BBC Director General nevertheless revealed there are bold plans for AI going forward Russell T Davies says end of BBC is ‘undoubtedly on its way’ BBC looks for commercial deals as it faces potential end of licence fee Doctor Who cited as evolution of of how funding for high-end scripted drama could evolve in the UK BBC must spend more on TV in Wales, says report Steven Moffat in conversation at Glasgow University Doctor Who: I, TARDIS: Memoirs of an Impossible Blue Box Hardcover due July 11 Doctor Who: I, TARDIS: Memoirs of an Impossible Blue Box Audio CD due July 11 Big Finish – The War Doctor Rises begins August 2024 Big Finish – Torchwood: Disco coming May 2024 Commentary: Terror of the Autons Episode 1

In an exciting adventure in time and mostly space, Chris joins Warren in Vancouver for a very special episode of Radio Free Skaro where we look at a new Disney+ Doctor Who trailer featuring dinosaurs, Ruby Sunday stepping on a butterfly, glimpses of upcoming mysteries, and clearly a whole lot of Disney+ money. Plus confirmation Steven Moffat is back for at least one Season 1 episode, Russell T Davies using a Canadian emoji to not only tease the audience but also confound us, Big Finish celebrating its 25th Anniversary with a very special day, some MRAHHH BUSINESS from Doctor Who producer Jane Tranter ,and our Miniscope examining the work of Thirteenth Doctor-era director Jamie Childs! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon New Disney+ Trailer Steven Moffat writes episode for new season of Doctor Who with Julie-Anne Robinson directing RTD uses 🇨🇦 emoji on his Instagram post about Moffat First Big Finish Day 2024 guests announced I, TARDIS coming from BBC Books July 18 Pre-orders are up for Titan Comics’ Fifteenth Doctor Issue #1 ‘Doctor Who’ Producer Jane Tranter Says British TV Tax Credits Must Be Updated Miniscope: Doctor Who director Jamie Childs Jamie Childs on Radio Free Skaro #676

After a long and punishing era of North America tapping its toes and drumming its fingers waiting for the adventures of Doctor Who on their televisual devices, Disney+ has upended the universe with a global release on its streaming service with the result that North Americans will see the show Friday afternoon and the UK will suffer the INDIGNITY of having their beloved Gallifreyan arrive at midnight, a crime as monumental as the United States seceding from the Commonwealth. We also have Steven Moffat allegedly writing the 2024 Xmas special, man about town and Nerdist scribe Kyle Anderson’s look at regenerations, and an interview with Chris Chapman about his Graham Williams documentary on said collection,”Darkness and Light: The Life of Graham Williams”! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Doctor Who Returns May 10/11, Premiering on iPlayer/Disney+ at Midnight UK Time BBC Press Release on Doctor Who Premiere Radio Times: Doctor Who’s Steven Moffat ‘returns to write 2024 Christmas special’ Alison Sterling’s CV said Steven Moffat is writing the 2024 Christmas Special (directed by Alex Pillai) From Nerdist: Doctor Who’s Regeneration Has NEVER Made Sense w/Kyle Anderson Philip Hinchcliffe – the DNA of Doctor Who Vol 1 due June 1 Doctor Who The Adventures Before due Oct 3 Doctor Who: In Wonderland Big Finish: Doctor Who – The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Star-Crossed due May 2024 Titan Comics reveals artwork for Fifteenth Doctor’s debut issue Season 15 Collection Launch Trailer Richard Bignell’s List of PDF archive material on the Season 15 Collection Interview: Chris Chapman Graham Williams documentary on the Season 15 Collection

It’s time for a mea culpa about Magna Carta by the Three Who Rule (much less than before) before we move on to the news of the moment, including Rachel Talalay highlighting female Doctor Who directors and appearing in Edmonton to celebrate her film work, Mark Ayres going to bat for the Celestial Toymaker’s experimental animations, the BBC with an AI-generated foot in its mouth after it decided simple humans can’t possibly promote their Doctor Who material, Warren has news of scribbling for an RPG merchant ,and the second part of a completely historically accurate exploration Classic Series Commentary of Magna Carta AND shapeshifting robots in…”The King’s Demons”, Part the Second!   Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Radio Times: Rachel Talalay: Doctor Who’s female directors have defied the odds Mark Ayres defends “experimental” Celestial Toymaker animation BBC is exploring generative AI to increase experimentation and improve Doctor Who promotion Big Finish: Bernice Summerfield: The Eternity Club series bundle starts September 2024 Kickstarter for The Laundry Roleplaying Game: Second Edition Pamela Salem obituary in the Guardian, by Toby Hadoke Commentary: Classic Series Commentary “The Kings Demons” Part Two

On this most important Magna Carta Day (yes, we know it’s actually June 15), the Three Who Rule are digging deep on morsels of news including the BFI screening of the Celestial Toymaker along with some Hot Takes on the current state of AI, the Sea Devils spinoff supposedly starting shooting on March 4, new casting, “The Daleks in Colour” available for digital purchase, an entirely made up new villain called the RUSAN, an upcoming convention for The Tripods which sold out within hours, and Part One of our Classic Series Commentary for “The King’s Demons”! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon The Celestial Toymaker screening at BFI on March 2 Doctor Who Sea Devils begins production March 4 Gallifrey One 2024 Wrap-Up and 2025 Update Doctor Who Magazine #601 Genesis Lysea, Gwïon Morris Jones join cast for Season 1 Makalla McPherson directing Doctor Who in Season 2 Amanda Brotchie directs block 3 Doctor Who feature in Disney twenty-three magazine The Daleks in Colour now available for digital purchase in North America BBC buys out ITV’s stake in BritBox for $322M/£255M Big Finish – Dark Gallifrey: Morbius due April 2024 Big Finish – Sontarans vs Rutans: In Name Only due April 2024 Tickets for Tripods 40, a convention celebrating The Tripods, are now on Sale Commentary: Classic Series Commentary “The Kings Demons” Part One

It’s the week after Gallifrey One but your dedicated town criers The Three Who Rule are here to give you the latest facts from the worlds of Doctor Who including a BFI showing of The Celestial Toymaker on March 2, a surfeit of scripts from the BBC, even more Blu-rays from the BBC Shop (sorta), and even more Big Finish news, most of it announced at the aforementioned Gallifrey One convention in Los Angeles! But all this is burying the lede as the BBC Archive’s Youtube channel rewards us with a visit in 1990 to…the BBC Film and Tape Library! And also, the Three remember the great Pamela Salem. Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon The Celestial Toymaker screening at BFI on March 2 Fifteenth Doctor’s Audition and hundreds of other scripts released Meet ‘The Edge of Destruction’ on vinyl this Record Store Day Doctor Who: Chronicles Issue 9: 1971 Doctor Who: The Daleks in Colour due March 19 (North America) Doctor Who: Peter Davison Complete Season 2 due April 2 (North America) Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker due May 14 (North America) Doctor Who: Tom Baker Complete Season 4 due July 9 (North America) Big Finish: The Worlds of Doctor Who – Dark Gallifrey starts April 2024 Big Finish: The Casebook of Paternoster Row due April 2024 Big Finish: Doctor Who – The Eighth Doctor Adventures: Echoes due May 2024 Big Finish launches Doctor Who audio drama podcast Open Air, originally broadcast on BBC One, Thursday 8 March, 1990 Pamela Salem (1944-2024)

That’s a wrap from Gallifrey One this year, but what a weekend it was! Disney+ chose Gallifrey One as the time and the place to launch their promo campaign for Doctor Who, including a special message to the convention and a new promotional poster. Gallifrey One Program Director Shaun Lyon tells us what went into that. Also, Simon Guerrier talks about BBC Television that eventually inspired Doctor Who, and Peter Harness joins us to preview his new series Constellation, premiering February 21 on Apple TV+! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Gallifrey One Disney+ Promo Launch Constellation on Apple TV+

Quite a treat for all of us on this episode as we are joined by none other than Sir Derek Jacobi, legend of stage and screen, portrayer of The Master in Doctor Who in 2007, and also the most charming and affable of fellows! The Three Who Rule, along with Erika from Verity! and Jason Snell from The Incomparable, also ruminate on how their Friday and Saturday went at Gallifrey One, including a full rundown of the live show to kick off the convention! Links: Support Radio Free Skaro on Patreon Gallifrey One